Flushing mechanism



Nw, 18, 1924. A 1,5%,043

T. HUGHES FLUSHING MECHANI SM Filed Oc*H 24', 1923 2 Shetss-Sheet l 31a/vanto@ uw Mmm-uf, awww;

mm. 18,' 1924. www3 T. HUGHES FLUSHING MECHANI SM Fjled oca. 24`, 192s 2 snwwnsueez 2 111,11 llA/l//K Patented Nov. 18, 1924.

THOMAS HUGHES, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

rnusnrne MscrraNIsM.

Application filed October 24, 1923. Serial No. 670,530.

- which the tank will be normally empty so that freezing will be avoided, and another object of the invention is to provide simple and eilicient mechanism whereby a predetermined quantity of water lsuilicient for effectual flushing will be supplied to the part to be flushed 'at each operation. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully set forth. V V

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of an apparatus embodying my present improvements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the iushing pipe and the cut-oli controlling the flow therethrough;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates the service pipe which is connected in the usual manner with the city main or other source of supply whereby to receive water under pressure. This pipe leads into a tank 2 and within the tank is coupled to a lateral Abranch. 3, the end of which is open and is disposed immediately adjacent the iiush pipe. The service pipe is equipped with a cut-off valve 4 and at one side of the pipe and the tank I provide a dashpot 5, the piston rod of which projects through the upper end of the dashpot and is equipped with a knob or handle 6. A bracket or lateral arm 7 is secured iirmlv about the piston below the head or handle 6, and this bracket is connected by a link 8 and a lever arm 9 with the stem 10 of the cut-oft' valve whereby, if the piston be raised, the valve will be opened and the water permitted to iow through the service pipe. The iushing pipe is connected with a couplingsleeve 11 which extends through the bottom of the tank and is secured firmly therein by the collars l2, as shown and as will be readily understood. rl`ln'eaded onto the upper end of the coupling sleeve 11 is a cylindrical casing 13 which er:` tends upwardly within the tankto a point adjacent the top thereof and is provided at its lower end and in the side presented to the branch of the service pipe with an opening 14 through which the water flows during the flushing operation. rlfhe open-l ing 14 1s normally covered by" a cutlofff tube or tubular valve 15 which fits closely but slid n ably within the casing with its lower end resting upon the upper end of the coupling sleevei11, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. This cutoff member has secured thereto a short arm 16 which projects laterally therefrom through a vertical lslot 17 in the casing 13 and to the outer end of the said arm 16 is pivoted the lower end of a link 18. The upper endl of the link 18 is pivoted to a lever 19 which is ful'crumed upon abracket 2O secured within the tank adjacent the upper end thereof, and a chain or other Hexible connection 21 extends between and is secured to the outer end of the lever and the bracket 17 upon the piston of the dashpot.

`When flushingis to be effected, the knob or handle. "G grasped and raised tothe limit of its" movement, thereby slackening the chain or'cable 2,1 so that the lever 19 may roc-k upon its fulcrum and the cut-off 15 will be permitted to seat itself upon the sleeve 11 and prevent flow to the iiushing pipe. When the piston is raised, as stated, the valve 4 is opened and the flow of water through the service pipe and the branch 3 established. nasmuchas the cut-off 15 is in its lowest position, however, the water cannot pass into the flushing pipe but will accumulate within the tank 2. The piston of the dashpot is released as soon as it reaches the upper limit of its movement and will thereupon immediately commence to descend. By the time the tank is filled, the piston will have descended sufficiently to bring the connection 21 into a tau-t condition so that the further descent of the piston will rock the lever 19 and lift the cut-ofil member 15, whereupon the water in the tank r will at once pass out to and through the flushing pipe. The flow of water through the service pipe, however, will continue and the pressure of this water will augment the iiow so that the part to be iiushed will receive water under a greater pressure than is the case with the iiushing apparatus now most generally employed. The cut-ofi1 valve I will, of course, start to close as the piston of the dashpot descends but the closing movement will be slow and will not be completed until the piston reaches its lowest point.

To accommodate the location of the mechanism so far described behind a partition or within the studding oit' a wall, I provide an additional operating means consisting of a rock shaft 22 ournaled in a bearing 23 litted through the wall or partition, indicated at 24, the :forward end of the said rock shaft being equipped with a crank or other form of handle 25. rIhe rear or inner end of the rock shaft may be secured to or formed integral with a lever arm 26 which extends toward the dashpot and is connected by a link 27 with the bracket 7, as shown in Fig. l. Rocking of the handle 25 will, of course, swing the tree end of the lever 26 upwardly s0 that the piston of the dashpot will be raised and the ope-ration of the flushing mechanism will then proceed as above described.

It will be readily noted from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that I have provided a very simple and compact mechanism whereby the flushing operation will be eiectually performed and whereby I avoid the accumulation or" an inert supply of water which is apt to freeze in exceedingly cold weather.` In my apparatus, the tank is normally empty but when the flushing action becomes necessary or is desired, the tank lls and then immediately discharges and at the close of the iiushing action the supply of water is automatically cut-ofi'.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

i. In a flushing mechanism, the combination or' a tank, an outlet in the bottom of the tank, a casing within the tank communicating with the outlet and provided with an opening at the outlet, a service pipe leading` into the tank and terminatingimmediately adjacent said opening, a cut-off valve mounted within said casing and normally above. the opening therein, a cut-oit valve in the service pipe, a dashpot, connections between the dashpot and the said valve whereby to open the valve, and connections between the dashpot and the cut-oil in thc casing whereby to lower the cut-oit in the casing when the cut-oiii' valve in the service pipe is opened.

2, In a flushing mechanism, the combination of a tank, an outlet in the bottom oi' the tank, a casing within the tank connected with said outlet and provided with an opening in its side at the outlet, said casing being` provided with a vertical slot above the said opening, a cut-off member slidably fitted within the casing adapted to extend across the opening therein but normally above the opening, an arm secured to said cut-ofi' member and extending through the slot in the casing, a lever fulcrumed within the tank near the top of the same, a link connecting said lever with the said arm, a service pipe extendimg` into the tank and terminating adjacent the opening in the said casing, a controlling valve in the service pipe, a dashpothaving a vertically movable piston, operative connections between the said pis'- ton and the controlling valve in the service pipe, and a flexible connection between the said piston and the said lever.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

' THOMAS HUGHES. [n s] 

